Arun's Blog

Happy New Year 2012

2011-12-30T19:39:00.000+05:30

It has been a really really long while since I made some effort to continue blogging and due to bandwidth issues (You must read this article) I haven't.

So seriously (!!!), blogging in 2012 obviously becomes by New Year Resolution. Just so it doesn't look like a wish, I have made some concrete (huh!) steps towards that viz.

Visited my long neglected Blogspot site (big deal)
Played around with the themes and chose this one
Enabled Mobile View (excited that this site is going to be widely read!)
Choose the Colours in line with my current thinking (Orange and Innovation is supposed to go hand-in-hand)
Updated the Fonts
Changed the Layout
Added a "All rights reserved" footnote (Not that it matters now!)
Saved all those changes (important you see)
Typing this blog

I will obviously follow this with the following,

Publishing this Blog (Oh Yeah!)
Sharing this Blog

By spreading word about this I intend to shame myself if I do not keep up this new year goal :-) Will you support me?

Finally,

The Old is Gone

And the New is Born

Drop your Baggage

And Welcome the Change

Happy New Year 2012

Dubious history of Arial

2007-05-21T09:51:00.000+05:30

This statement is written in Arial. Hope your browser will be able to display it
in the font I wanted it to be seen.

Arial, the font that is in use since Windows 3.x is one of the best fonts that come with Windows for use in different applications, along with Times New Roman, and Courier. Arial is one of the standard font that is widely used in business communication, be it email, memo, or a detailed project proposal. It is a no-nonsense, clean font that gives a professional feel and communicates seriousness.

But were it to be? A little of other stuff now.

Helvetica, a font designed by Max Miedinger, turned fifty this year. This Swiss font since its release to mainstream usage fifty years back, had been the widely used in most of commercial communication - company logos, advertisements etc. because of its clean lines, proportionate dimensions and smooth curves. You couldn't imagine any graphics designer not aware of Helvetica, as it was the standard in design. Adobe's design products (e.g. PhotoShop) essentially bought the rights from Linotype (who owns this typeface) for bundling this font in their products; and so did Mac OS - widely used to run graphics rich applications. But so dit NOT, Windows.

Now back to the story of Arial. Didn't I use similar meaning words to describe Arial and Helvetica? You are right. I did. Because they indeed really are, as do so many other fonts. But with one difference. Arial was born out of Helvetica, because Microsoft did not like paying Linotype the required fee to use the font. So Arial came bundled with Microsoft's OS and because Microsoft's systems were pervasive, Arial became the default font for formal communication, displacing the much deserving Helvetica out of sight.

It is ironical that the brand Microsoft is created and still represented in Helvetica!

If it were not for Microsoft to reengineer Helvetica into Arial with almost no difference (find it if you can) I would have written a blog focussing on the history of Helvetica.

Here are some links you might want to use:

Wear a tie

2007-02-05T11:47:00.000+05:30

Link : http://www.tie-a-tie.net

If you are like me, who earnestly want to wear tie to office, but wondering how to do it, use the link above.

Caspar Isemer assures you, it's not a rocket science to learn to tie a tie. The illustrations are quite useful and with little practice, guess it should be great.

Let me try these and post some comments. Meanwhile, why don't you pour your experiences on tying a tie, as comments here?

Data Transfer @ the speed of light!

2006-09-19T12:50:00.000+05:30

Breakthro' in electronic data transfer by use of light. An excerpt from BBC's news report.

Data speeds inside computers or across continents could get a boost from
Intel research into hybrid processors. Intel researchers have solved a
manufacturing problem that has delayed the creation of devices that can both
generate and route light. The breakthrough could mean cheaper and higher speed
computer networks and help to speed up the transfer of data inside
computers.

Perpetual Futility

2006-09-07T19:10:00.000+05:30

Link: http://www.lhup.edu/~dsimanek/museum/people/people.htm

Perpetual Motion Machines (PMMs) have been the craze for many scientists for centuries. Despite the fact of today, that you cannot get output more than what you input, people have continued to believe for centuries that it is possible and attempted to create one. This link will take you to a page that traces the history of the futile efforts on PMM in making.

What it takes to recognise beauty

2006-09-07T19:06:00.000+05:30

Link : http://www.beautycheck.de/english

Some faces we categorise beautiful, some otherwise. But how do we do? This link takes you to a study on this.

Photoshop Wars

2006-09-07T18:59:00.000+05:30

Link: http://www.elemanyak.com/chelov.swf

All Work and No plan. Just click that link, sit back and relax and enjoy.
You'd simply love that.

'Model' signboard

2006-09-07T18:40:00.000+05:30

What do you feel about this signboard! Very useful - Huh!

More Fonts

2006-07-25T19:27:00.000+05:30

Link : http://www.dafont.com/top.php

In some of my earlier posts, I had provided links to pages on a variety of fonts. Here is one more.

Ich liebe Dich

2006-06-12T10:21:00.000+05:30

Link: http://www.rosefloral.com/love.htm

What better way to say "I Love You" to my newly found sweetheart, without getting a rough response until I explain her what that means in German. By the time I would tell her, I only wish she appreciates my creativity.

Visit this site, to tell your sweety that you love her, in all the languages of the world. One per day should be fine, to keep up the tempo and keep her guessing.

"Egg First" - Mystery Solved

2006-06-06T17:21:00.000+05:30

Link : http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/science/05/26/chicken.egg

Age old question that baffled all alike, is purportedly answered. The famous Chicken first or Egg first problem seems to be solved, with a team of geneticist, philosopher and chicken farmer concluding that it was egg that came first. Read the link above and post your comments to this blog.

Apocryphal stories

2006-05-19T12:29:00.000+05:30

http://www.darwinawards.com/legends/

You would certainly love this. A good one to take time off and laugh and enjoy the day.
My favourite is Bears 2, Rams 4

Have a look at the Darwin Awards's Urban Legends.

Computational Origami

2006-05-13T21:46:00.000+05:30

Link : http://www.theiff.org/oexhibits/paper01.html

To the paper folder, the square is the origin of all form. Where others see only the void – dull, blank, meaningless – the folder sees a world already overflowing with possibilities.

- Peter Engel, Origami: From Angelfish to Zen

Computational Origami, a relatively young field which describes about the use of mathematical means to lay crease on a piece of a square paper and fold along it, to develope complex polygons like insects and spiders more realistically holding the shape intact.

A read thro' is interesting.

Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

2006-04-29T15:19:00.000+05:30

Benjamin Franklin you may know is a multifaceted personality who has shown himself a printer, inventor, scientist, and politician, and more than anything else, an excellent manager of his time, which we lack in today's fast paced world, particularly in the knowledge industry.

Inspite of his varied interests, Franklin shone brighly and more importantly, was successful in all the endeavours he attempted. The Link takes you to an e-server, where you get to read an online version of the The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin.

Opensource Software Listing

2006-04-29T12:02:00.000+05:30

Here is another link that help you find opensource softwares of various categories. BTW wikipedia is turning out to be a real favourable destination for encyclopaedic searches.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_open_source_software_packages

For your SODOKU appetite

2006-04-22T14:27:00.000+05:30

http://www.websudoku.com/

A very nice online SUDOKU site, that should be able to feed your sodoku appetite, from the easy to the evil. When and how it came to India, I don't know but it has been a rage all along in any newspaper or magazine I see. So let's go with the tide. Visit and feel free to post your comments.

Bit Font Maker

2006-04-06T18:03:00.000+05:30

If you had long wanted to create your own fonts but wondered how to, this should certainly be of interest to you.

This link takes you to a page from where you can create your own fonts.

FAQ on Grammar

2006-04-03T15:57:00.000+05:30

http://www.drgrammar.org/faqs/

You sure will like it. All those who are confused of the use of the English language, and have many small small doubts, should not hesitate to look into this. This is a handy site for reference.

Why don't to look into this and post your comments on this blog?

How things work - Explanation of physics of everyday life

2006-04-03T12:31:00.000+05:30

http://howthingswork.virginia.edu/

You might be very familiar with the How Stuff Works site that explains almost anything under the Sun, as to how it works. The link I have provided above is also worth being visited, for understanding the physics of everyday life.

10 most beautiful Physics Experiments

2006-04-03T10:27:00.000+05:30

http://physics.nad.ru/Physics/English/top_ref.htm

A real good web page, that comprehensively lists and describes the beautiful experiments in Physics, most of which we have done during our high school course.

Worth a visit

Open-source Windows Applications

2006-03-31T17:49:00.000+05:30

This is one of the very good sites I stumbled upon. This gives a comprehensive list of the open-source applications available for windows, which includes, E-Mail clients, browsers, Personal Finance manager, games etc.

http://www.opensourcewindows.org/

Back to Mechanical Means

2006-03-29T19:15:00.000+05:30

Still people (like me) seem to be interested in the building of mechanical devices for those that were easily solved by the modern day computers.

Impressive mechanical machines that calculates - Difference Engine

Firefox Extension - Fuzzy Time

2006-03-29T13:27:00.000+05:30

One of the fantastic and simple to appear extension to firefox that I found is the Fuzzy Time. I would love many such clocks are available that tells you time like this.

It has three levels of fuzziness - Fuzzy, Very Fuzzy & Extremely Fuzzy. Want some sample time it says? Say the time is 1:41PM ... it says

1. Twenty to Two (Fuzzy)
2. Half past One (Very Fuzzy)
3. Early Afternoon (Extremely Fuzzy)

Nice is itn't?

Here is the link.

Worth Exploring

2006-03-21T20:49:00.000+05:30

http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/body/interactives/lifecycle/teenagers/

Try your art skills

2006-03-21T15:14:00.000+05:30

Really Cool. Helps you draw on a canvas. You have the option to save your drawings and even replay. That is pretty COOL.

http://artpad.art.com/artpad/painter/

Commit and Deliver

2006-03-20T13:47:00.000+05:30

Excerpt from http://www.strategy-business.com/press/article/06101?pg=0

"...I believe the Commit and Deliver choice is viable for many public companies. But it takes a lot of energy. Most business executives have learned to resist being driven by their inbox. It’s easy to get trapped, spending your time dealing with everyone’s problems, the pressures of the day, and the insistence of squeaky wheels. But this strategy sets you up against the agenda of shareholders, who, after all, own the company; you represent them as a director and chief executive. You can’t ignore them, even if you feel they’re wrong. Instead, you must make the case that your agenda is the best one for everyone. I now understand more completely why some companies seem to act without mooring and purpose. In the absence of a strong agenda of your own, others will fill the vacuum."

I believe this is equally applicable for an individual. What do you say?

Nice Pic - Thoughtful drawing

2006-03-14T14:37:00.000+05:30

Interesting to know

2006-02-20T11:00:00.000+05:30

Look at this URL. This tells that, according to a research, the human brain can understand words provided the first and last letters are in place, no matter how dis-organised the letters in between.

http://viral.lycos.co.uk/attachments/3561/Reading_Test.jpg

alphabet.gif (GIF Image, 988x200 pixels)

2006-02-20T10:14:00.000+05:30

alphabet.gif (GIF Image, 988x200 pixels)

2006-01-17T11:12:00.000+05:30

Been a long time since my last blog was here. So just thought I can stay alive over blog by this post. Please don't expect anymore than this in this post.

2005-12-02T15:12:00.000+05:30

Just wanted to post an entry in my blog.. just to say am active. Am high with fever and cold today. May leave soon.. But its raining heavily here due to some low pressure over Bay of Bengal.

Lots of work pending.. with me just whiling away the time.

DXO... DXO Services... Seems I am working hard mentally :-P

See you soon... BFN

2005-11-24T09:21:00.000+05:30

I was interested in some blogging client, and I found this... Power Blog from Sourceforge.net

Trying for the first time, this article you see if posted from that blogging client. Let me checkout its features.

The above is the picture of Swami Vivekananda. Hope this is presented clearly.

See you in next blog

2005-11-23T11:40:00.000+05:30

Abraham Lincoln

2005-11-21T11:24:00.000+05:30

Serene Tapasya. Refreshing outlook. I would love to be the man in the picture

2005-10-25T21:46:00.000+05:30

Arun Kumar

Experiment #3

2005-08-12T11:01:00.000+05:30

This is my third blog and this too is via email. But this time I am sending a mail with a background. I want to see how this gets "blogged".

Experiment three - a success!!!!!!!!!!

Love

Arun

S. Arun Kumar
Business Analyst
Premier Technology Group Pvt. Ltd.

Chennai - INDIA
Phone : (+91) (44) 2231 3013 / 2232 5187 Ext. 215

My Second Blog (by eMail)

2005-08-02T09:47:00.000+05:30

I like experimentation. So this second blog of mine is published using the Email feature provided by Blogger.com

Love

Arun

To help you stay safe and secure online, we've developed the all new Yahoo! Security Centre.

My first

2005-07-31T18:40:00.000+05:30

This, my first blog... months after registering with blogger.com!!!

Blogging seems to be really nice, and am looking forward to join the blogging community in real sense.

Hope to blog regularly.

Love
Arun